Friday, November 25, 2016

"I just love Eden McDowell's installation-based sculptures, which become environmental in their use of space, and touch on concepts of domesticity, memories and personal stories. She is currently finishing up a BFA at Maine College of Art.

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So, you're currently pursuing your BFA at Maine College of Art in Portland, ME. Tell me about yourself! Where are you from originally, and what prompted you to look into that college?

Well, I'm originally from Mystic, CT, a small seaside town where you can basically drive through downtown in one deep breath. Maine College of Art was my first choice because as a home-schooler, it comforted me in its size and community. Coming from a close-knit area, I loved the idea of being nestled in the heart of the Portland Arts District. The school is all located inside a five-story building that used to once be Portland's first department store, which I was immediately struck by!

What first interested you in making art? What about sculpture, or installation, specifically?

To be quite honest, it's in my blood. Both of my parents are artists— my dad, a freelance painter and printmaking professor and my mother, a paper conservator and watercolorist. My great uncle was also a sculptor in New York City for most of his life. I feel like I take after him the most... and then, my sophomore year in college I took a sculpture class called Color, Form, and Space and I fell in love with converting spaces into dynamic, color-filled installations.

What inspires you?

I am most inspired by my family, my memories, and the stories of others. I feel the need to translate these narratives through my sculptural assemblages in order to give overlooked and forgotten stories a chance."